The man walked over and held out his hand. “I’m Tehran Wind River. I’m the pack doctor, and I’m guessing that you’re Aurelia. I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
Aurelia shook his hand. “Why would you be looking forward to meeting me?”
“Are you kidding? With your gift, I must have at least a hundred questions.”
“Can they wait, Doc? She’s really anxious to get started,” said Zack.
Tehran raised his brow. “All of them can wait, but one.”
“What’s your question?” asked Aurelia.
“Can I stay and watch? I’ll stay in the corner and be quiet as a mouse.”
Aurelia giggled and waved her hand. “Sure, just no heckling from the peanut gallery.” He laughed and moved to stand in the corner near the head of the bed.
“Should I do the same as I did last night?” asked Marianne.
Aurelia nodded. “Put her in the exact same position.” She pulled a chair over while Marianne brought Celia to the foot of the bed. Aurelia looked at the other girls and smiled. “I’m going to try and make your sister all better. Can you be really still and quiet for me?”
Kelly frowned. “Are you gonna use needles and hurt her?”
Aurelia shook her head. “No, honey, no needles. I won’t hurt her, I promise.” The child smiled and snuggled back into the covers. Aurelia settled into the chair and rubbed her hands together. She glanced at Zack. “Remember, no touching or talking as long as I have contact unless I specifically ask for something.”
“No problem, love. I’ll be here if you need me.” He moved to the other side of the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. Marianne sat down on the bed next to Kelly and held her hand.
Satisfied that everyone was ready, Aurelia laid her hands on the child’s chest and closed her eyes. She could feel Zack’s worry in her head and had to forcefully push him to the back corner of her brain. She felt her power gathering in her abdomen, stronger than she’d ever felt it before, and gave herself up to the sensations. The power was heat, steady and growing, moving into her arms and down toward her fingers. Behind it was a force she’d not experienced before. It felt magical, and it was trying to blend with her own powers. As the heat moved into fingers, it reached out in a way it never had before. Before she could change her mind, she reached for Kelly’s hand.
* * * *
Zack tensed as the orange glow formed around Aurelia’s fingers. Everything was the same as last night, except the expression of total contentment she had on her face. Then, her eyes opened and she stared down at the sleeping child. Nervously, Zack moved forward to stand by her side when the orange glow began moving up her arms. He jumped when her hand shot out and grabbed Kelly. The young girl squealed and then quieted as the orange glow made its way onto her fingers.
“What’s happening?” whispered Marianne.
Zach shrugged and glanced at Celia. A ten-inch circle on her chest glowed in the bedroom light.
Aurelia looked up. “Bring the other children closer. I need all their hands together.”
Zack frowned but scrambled to do as she asked. He stepped around Marianne and slid Kelly closer, while Tehran lifted Dyane and moved her to lie next to Celia. Aurelia moved Kelly’s hand to lie on top of Celia’s and then reached for Dyane. When all three girls’ hands were on top of each other, Aurelia placed one of hers above them, and one below.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, as Zack watched, the orange glow spread from Aurelia’s hands up into each girl’s arm and gradually moved toward their shoulders. At the same time, it traveled up Aurelia’s arms, over her shoulders, and began to encompass her entire body.
Marianne moved to stand next to Zack, her body trembling violently. Within a couple of minutes, Aurelia and all three children were completely submerged in the unearthly glow. It seemed to hover for a moment and then swelled until a flash of light caused Zack to close his eyes. When he opened them, everything was back to normal.
The children were all awake and trying to sit up, their eyes clear and free from fever. He glanced at Aurelia and swore. He moved to her chair and scooped her into his arms.
“Is she okay?” asked Marianne.
“Put her on the bed,” said Tehran. “Let me take a look at her and make sure she’s okay.” Zack laid her down and moved back. Tehran checked the pulse in her neck and then lifted each of her eyelids briefly. He straightened and smiled. “I think she’s fine. I’d guess that healing a disease as bad as this was probably exhausting considering how much energy I witnessed her expend.”
“She doesn’t think it’s a disease,” said Zack. “She called it some kind of invasion of a foreign substance.”
Tehran nodded. “That would actually explain a lot.”
“Oh my, God,” said Marianne. “Their fever is gone.”
Zack looked at the bed where all three little girls were vying for a place on their mother’s lap.
“Can I have a cookie? I’m hungwy,” said Kelly.
“Jeremy!” yelled Marianne. Jeremy raced through the door, Remus close on his heels. “She wants a cookie because she’s hungry.” Tears ran down the man’s face as he knelt beside the bed and pulled his entire family into his arms.
Remus smiled and moved to stand next to Tehran. “Is our little healer going to be okay?”
Tehran nodded. “I think so. I’ve not really dealt with anything like this, so basically, we’ll have to wait and see.” He laughed. “I had about a hundred questions before. Now I have around a thousand.”
Zack pressed Aurelia’s hand to his lips. “Don’t expect too many answers, Doc. I have a feeling this is the first time one of her healings went this way.”
“Tehran,” Remus said. “Check over the pups carefully. I want to make sure they show no signs of any relapse. And I wanna keep this between us until we can ascertain that they’re truly cured.”
“What about the pups in Alpha Cardston’s pack?” asked Tehran.
Zack smoothed the hair back off Aurelia’s face. “Until I know for sure she hasn’t injured herself, there won’t be any more healings.”
Remus nodded. “Fair enough. The bedroom next door is not occupied at the present. Why don’t you take her and put her in that bed. The sheets are clean. After she’s rested, we can talk.”
Zack nodded and picked Aurelia up, holding her close to his chest. He rubbed his cheek across her hair as he carried her to the other bedroom. Moving inside, he used his foot to close the door and then laid her on the bed, quickly stripping off her clothes. Kicking off his shoes, he stripped and climbed up behind her, spooning himself around her body as much as possible. He’d protect his mate from anybody and anything.
Chapter 9
Remus watched Maddie hand Zander a glass of tea and then reached for the one left on her tray.
“Thanks, Maddie,” said Zander. “I appreciate it.”
“Did you come straight here from the airport?” asked Remus.
Zander nodded and took a long drink, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed. He sat down his glass and looked at Remus. “Well? Did it work?” Remus glanced at Maddie and motioned for her to leave them alone.
She scowled but picked up her tray. “I’m expecting you to stay for dinner, Zander.” She walked out the door and then stuck her head back inside. “And that’s not an invitation.”
Zander cut his gaze to Remus. “Your mate is very…formidable.”
Remus laughed. “You have no idea.” He took a drink of his tea, taking his time, trying to decide how much to tell the council representative. “We have every reason to believe it was a success. The pups are fever-free for the first time in a couple of weeks, and they’re getting stronger by the hour. They’ve already had their first meal.”
“How long did it take her to heal all three of them?”
Remus glanced down at his desk. “Not long. It’s my understanding she did them
all together.”
Zander settled back in his chair. “Where is she now?”
Remus growled. “Forget it!”
Zander held up his hands as if in surrender. “I’m only asking about her condition.”
“As of about an hour ago, she was still unconscious. Apparently, the process takes her energy and transfers it into her subject. That’s a theory, of course. I haven’t actually talked to her about what happens when she heals someone.”
“I wanna talk to her.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Alpha Remus, don’t make this a council issue. If you don’t cooperate with me, you may force them to take unilateral action. Your pack is not the only one with this problem.”
“This woman is under the protection of my pack. Neither you, nor the council, will interfere with that.”
“You’d go to war over this woman?”
“She’s the mate of one of my pack members who’s also my nephew. You’re damn right I’d go to war to keep her safe and with her mate.”
“The crew I had fly them back said your boy hadn’t claimed his mate yet.”
“Ancient history. She’s been claimed and marked.”
Zander sighed. “That makes a difference. You know we’d never do anything to interfere with a mating. I’d still like to talk with her and see if she’s willing to help us. No pressure involved.”
“If her mate is agreeable, then I’ll set it up when she recovers. I will tell you something she said.”
“What’s that?”
“She says we’re not dealing with a disease. She thinks it’s some kind of contamination of a foreign substance.”
Zander cursed and reached for his glass. “What next?”
* * * *
Aurelia looked at her sleeping mate and snickered. It was time she gave back some of the pleasure she’d been getting. She’d read enough romance books to know that guys loved to be awakened by a horny woman. Moving quietly, she eased off the bed and went over and locked the door. It wouldn’t do for Alpha Remus to come check on them.
Carefully, she climbed onto the bed and leaned over Zack’s groin. She glanced up at his face and found him watching her, his eyes a dark black as they searched her face. Smiling, she glanced down. His cock jutted out from his body, looking so big and hard, while his arms, legs, and torso were all finely sculpted muscle and firm, warm flesh. A thin sprinkling of hair spread low on his chest, narrowing down past his navel to a thicker mat cradling his erection.
Bending over, she kissed a trail down his smooth stomach. He moaned, his muscles quivering, as she licked her way down even further. She buried her face in his crotch, his pubic hair tickling her nose, and inhaled his masculine scent.
“Please, love, touch me,” he begged. “I want to feel those sweet lips around my cock.”
Zack reached down and took her hand, placing her palm against the veined shaft, and tightened her fingers around his cock, teaching her what gave him the most pleasure. He growled softly as one of her hands cupped his balls and squeezed, rolling them gently.
Grasping his cock firmly, Aurelia licked and stroked it from root to tip, feeling it harden even more and buck against her hands. He arched his hips ever so slightly, a silent cue for her to continue. Tilting her head back, she allowed his cock to slide deep along her tongue. His cock twitched when she nipped the silky skin gently with her teeth.
“Oh, yeah. Do that again,” Zack panted.
Aurelia moved further down and ran her tongue over Zack’s balls. Then she licked up his shaft, closing her lips over the purplish head. As she took more of him into her mouth and sucked harder and harder, he grasped her head in both hands.
“I love your mouth,” he rasped. Zack groaned, his cock jerking in Aurelia’s mouth. Reaching down, he cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb tenderly back and forth across her skin. “I need you to drink me down, love.”
Aurelia nodded and increased the suction around his cock. Suddenly, Zack shuddered and thrashed to a climax. He came with a ragged moan, his hand clenched in her hair, as he released his seed down the back of her throat.
* * * *
Zack cupped Aurelia’s head and gazed down into her eyes. Pulling her up, he captured her mouth in a hot kiss, his tongue swirling against hers, tasting himself in her mouth. He lifted away and buried his lips in the curve of her neck. “You didn’t have to do that,” he whispered.
“I wanted to.” She moaned as he dragged his mouth along the sensitive skin of her neck and shoulders. With his lips and tongue, he left a wet trail on her skin.
Zack flipped her onto her back and placed one knee between her parted thighs, covering her body with his. “Now it’s my turn,” he said. He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her full lips, and then slid lower. He captured one of her nipples between his lips, nipping at it gently with his teeth. He swirled his tongue around the tight bud and then gave the same treatment to her other side. Her entire body shivered when he clasped one breast in his hand and circled her nipple with his tongue right before he sucked it into his mouth.
He tortured her nipples for several minutes and then dropped a hand to search between her thighs. She moved her legs restlessly as he played with the soft curls at the top of her mound, tangling his fingers in the damp hairs. Gently, he pushed two fingers inside her pussy. She automatically squeezed her thighs together, trapping his hand inside.
Moving lower in the bed, he settled his upper body between her spread thighs and dipped his tongue into her navel.
“Don’t tease me,” she begged.
His fingertips probed, spreading her pussy lips apart. She moaned as he found her clit and rubbed the small nub with slick fingers. Leaning close, he replaced his finger with his tongue and licked up her slit, watching as a fresh batch of cream was released. Taking her clit between his lips, he sucked gently while stabbing two fingers into her sheath. Her body stiffened, her moans escalating into a strident cry as she came.
Zack crawled up and curled next to her in the bed. When she turned and smiled at him he kissed her soundly. “That’s was a hell of a way to wake up. I say we should make that one of our rules.”
Aurelia giggled. “I’m not sure we’d survive that rule.”
Zack cuddled her close. “You wanna head back to our place?”
“When are we gonna see the other children that are sick?”
Zack frowned. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, love. This took so much out of you. Hell, you were out almost ten hours. I’m afraid you’re gonna wear yourself out if you don’t slow down.”
Aurelia put her hand on his chest. “I’m fine, Zack. The nap was what I needed. Somehow, our mating gave me an extra umph with my own power. It was nothing to heal all three of them at once.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. “Please, Zack. I need to be able to help. It’s my purpose in this life, and I have to fulfill it.”
Zack sighed. “It’s almost dinnertime. Let’s plan on leaving out in the morning, and we’ll visit Alpha Cardston’s pack. He’s the closest one that has two pups with the same symptoms.”
Aurelia threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you, for everything. You’ve given me back my life.”
“I love you, woman. I’d give my life for you.”
Aurelia looked into his eyes and then leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. She whispered against them. “I love you, too.”
Zack’s arms closed around her like a vise, and he let his eyelids drift closed. He felt like his world was complete and nothing could go wrong.
* * * *
Conrad watched Cecil pour himself two fingers of Scotch.
“We’ve tracked her to a little town called Takoda in Wyoming. There’s an almost cult-like family that runs the place, but with the right people, we should be able to get her out of there.”
Conrad narrowed his eyes. “Fine, do what you have to, but keep a low profile. I’d rather not call a lot of attention to us if we can help it. The best scenario w
ould be if they think she leaves on her own.”
Cecil frowned. “I’ll try, but no guarantees, boss. I think she’s involved with one of them in a personal way.”
“So our little princess is no longer pure and clean.” Conrad chuckled. “So much the better for what I have in mind.” He looked up at Cecil. “Keep me apprised. I want her back here as soon as possible.”
Cecil nodded. “Yes, sir.” He left, closing the door quietly behind him.
Conrad took a sip of his Scotch. “Not long now.”
* * * *
Aurelia glanced over at Zack and sighed. His thin, black T-shirt seemed stretched to its limits as it hugged his broad shoulders and showed every contour of his muscular, upper arms. They’d left his apartment at daybreak and headed north toward Glacier Park in Montana. Alpha Cardston’s pack was located just north of there, right across the Canadian border.
They’d been on the road for almost five hours, and she desperately wanted to take a break and walk around. “Any chance of getting out of this rolling taxi for a while? My butt is killing me.”
Zack spared her a glance and chuckled. “There’s a rest stop coming up in a couple of miles. We can stop there and maybe get something to drink.”
“How much further is it to the pack?”
“It’s a little over six hundred miles to the pack settlement from the mountain, and we’re about halfway now.”
Aurelia could hear a faint buzzing in her ears, and then Zack’s voice came through, low and a little fuzzy. “Wish we could find a nice, secluded place so I could strip you down and claim you all over again.” Aurelia’s head spun around. “Knock it off with the X-rated thoughts, please. We’ve got a long way to go, and it’ll seem longer if all we think about is sex.”
Zack laughed. “Sorry, love. I’ll work on blocking those thoughts. If it’s any consolation, it’s no fun driving with your dick hard enough to pound nails.”
The Touch of Her Hands [The Wind River Pack 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 13
